Reference: Discerning Of Spirits
American
1Co 12:10, a miraculous gift of the Holy Ghost to certain of the early church, empowering them to judge of the real character of those who professed to love Christ, and to be inspired to teach in his name, 1Jo 4:1; 2Jo 1:7. Compare Ac 5:1-10; 13:6-12.
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Above all things, be strong and harden thyself, to observe and to do according to all the laws which Moses my servant commanded thee. Turn there from neither to the righthand, nor to the left: that thou mayest have understanding in all thou takest in hand.
A certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept away part of the price, his wife also being of counsel: and brought a certain part, and laid it down at the apostles' feet. read more. Then said Peter, "Ananias how is it that Satan hath filled thine heart, that thou shouldest lie unto the holy ghost, and keep away part of the price of the livelihood: Pertained it not unto thee only? And after it was sold, was not the price in thine own power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and gave up the ghost. And great fear came on all them that these things heard. And the young men rose up, and put him apart, and carried him out, and buried him. And it fortuned as it were about the space of three hours after, that his wife came in, ignorant of that which was done. And Peter said unto her, "Tell me, gave ye the land for so much?" And she said, "Yea, for so much." Then Peter said unto her, "Why have ye agreed together, to tempt the spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out." Then she fell down straightway at his feet and yielded up the ghost. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carried her out and buried her by her husband.
When they had gone throughout the Isle unto the city of Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer: a false prophet, which was a Jew, named Barjesus: which was with the ruler of the country, one Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. The same ruler called unto him Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. read more. But the sorcerer Elymas - for so was his name by interpretation - withstood them, and sought to turn away the ruler from the faith. Then Saul, which also is called Paul, being full of the holy ghost, set his eyes on him, and said, "O full of all subtlety and deceitfulness, and child of the devil, and the enemy of all righteousness: thou ceasest not to pervert the straight ways of the Lord. And now behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind and not see the sun for a season." And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; And he went about, seeking them that should lead him by the hand. Then the ruler, when he saw what had happened, believed: and wondered at the doctrine of the Lord.
to another, power to do miracles; to another prophecy; to another, judgment of spirits; to another divers tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
Ye beloved, believe not every spirit: but prove the spirits whether they be of God, or not: for many false prophets are gone out in to the world.
Fausets
1Co 12:10. Discerning between the operation of God's Spirit and that of the evil spirit, or unaided human spirit claiming to utter the dictates of God's Spirit. Ac 5:1-11; 8:28; 1Co 14:23,37: "if any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." It is this which assures us of the inspiration of the New Testament The books were accepted as inspired, by churches having men possessing" the discerning of spirits" (1Jo 4:1; 1Ti 4:1).
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A certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept away part of the price, his wife also being of counsel: and brought a certain part, and laid it down at the apostles' feet. read more. Then said Peter, "Ananias how is it that Satan hath filled thine heart, that thou shouldest lie unto the holy ghost, and keep away part of the price of the livelihood: Pertained it not unto thee only? And after it was sold, was not the price in thine own power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and gave up the ghost. And great fear came on all them that these things heard. And the young men rose up, and put him apart, and carried him out, and buried him. And it fortuned as it were about the space of three hours after, that his wife came in, ignorant of that which was done. And Peter said unto her, "Tell me, gave ye the land for so much?" And she said, "Yea, for so much." Then Peter said unto her, "Why have ye agreed together, to tempt the spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out." Then she fell down straightway at his feet and yielded up the ghost. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carried her out and buried her by her husband. And great fear came on all the congregation; and on as many as heard it.
And as he returned home again, sitting in his chariot, he read Isaiah the prophet.
to another, power to do miracles; to another prophecy; to another, judgment of spirits; to another divers tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
Ye beloved, believe not every spirit: but prove the spirits whether they be of God, or not: for many false prophets are gone out in to the world.
Morish
This was one of the gifts in the early church, needful for 'testing the spirits,' because even then many false prophets had gone forth into the world. 1Co 12:10; 1Jo 4:1-3. This gift was especially necessary at the time when the word of God was not fully written.
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And as soon as the people were all gone over Jordan, the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, "Take you twelve men out of the people, of every tribe a man. read more. And command you them, saying, 'Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, even out of the place where the priests stood in a readiness, twelve stones. And take ye them away with you and put them in the place where you lodge at night.'"
to another, power to do miracles; to another prophecy; to another, judgment of spirits; to another divers tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: